Tuesday, December 22, 2009

(ARA) - With today's hectic lifestyles, time is often hard to come by. As many of us try to juggle multiple responsibilities, the thing that often gets the least attention is our beauty regimen.

"Fortunately, you can still look and feel good without spending a lot of time during these busy holiday seasons," says Joy Bergin, cofounder of the Hot Moms Club and a parenting and style expert. Bergin has shared her style tips with TV's "ET," "The Insider" and "Inside Edition," and has the inside scoop on time-saving beauty secrets employed by some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

For women who want to look and feel their best this holiday season, Bergin offers a few time-saving beauty tips for your regimen:

The eyes have it

"Eyes aren't just the window to your soul, they say a lot about your overall health, vitality and mood," Bergin says. Making your eyes appear larger enhances your entire face. If you don't have time to apply full eye makeup every morning, simply using a waterproof mascara can get you through the day.

A show of hands, please

"There's an old saying in Hollywood - you can't hide the hands," Bergin says. According to a Harris Interactive survey conducted on behalf of Dawn Hand Renewal with Olay Beauty, about three in five (59 percent) women believe hands are one of the parts of a woman's body that most reveal her age. Eighty one percent of women polled believe it is at least somewhat important to maintain soft and youthful-looking hands.

"If you're short on time for salon or paraffin treatments to help your hands look and feel your best, look for products that you use everyday that have added benefits," Bergin says. Dawn Hand Renewal with Olay Beauty, which combines Dawn's cleaning power and revolutionary hand care technology effectively cleans your dishes while transforming the look and feel of your hands.

The scent of beauty

Scent is an easy way to create an aura of beauty. You don't have to spend hours trying on perfumes until you find the right one and you don't have the reapply your scent every few hours. You can create your own personalized "designer scent" - one that you can easily stay with you throughout the day. Mix your favorite designer lotion with a similar scent to extend quantity. The scent will remain strong longer and the lotion will last longer, too.

Skip the facial; scrub instead

Instead of time-consuming facials, buy a soft loofah and gently rub your face in a circular motion with your normal exfoliate cleanser to smooth skin texture and remove dead cells. Replace heavy oil-based foundations with a loose mineral powder to top off your look and give you a natural radiance.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

/PRNewswire/ -- Happiness is contagious evoking feelings of universal joy. In a tough economic climate, it's even more important to spread happiness and give back in meaningful ways. For the third consecutive year, Clinique is partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, the largest youth mentoring organization in the country, to continue its tradition of engaging in random acts of happiness.

Clinique teamed up with children from Big Brothers Big Sisters to create personalized holiday cards that embody happiness during the season of giving. The children participated in designing holiday cards and were encouraged to express happy holiday moments visually through their artwork. Six designs were chosen for Clinique Happy Holiday Cards, which will be available complimentary at Clinique counters nationwide and at Clinique.com with a $30 purchase. In addition, Clinique has made a cumulative donation of $350,000 to support Big Brothers Big Sisters initiatives.

"For three consecutive years, Clinique has demonstrated its commitment to our children by selecting Big Brothers Big Sisters as the beneficiary of its annual holiday promotion," said Michael A. Corriero, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC. "Clinique's generosity is bringing holiday cheer to countless children."

"At Clinique, we're committed to paying it forward," said Lynne Greene, Global President of Clinique, Origins and Ojon. "We're thrilled to partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters once again and bring smiles to the faces of children who need them the most."

The holiday card icons designed by Big Brothers Big Sisters will also appear on Clinique's Happy Day Card Designer, a customizable e-card application, on Facebook http://apps.facebook.com/clinique_happyday/fb/welcome. Each person can select pictures from his or her Facebook albums, choose a pattern, background colour, Big Brothers Big Sisters icon and greeting and create a one-of-a-kind e-card to share with Facebook friends.

Clinique status updates and tweets will also encourage fans and followers to share their happy moments on Facebook and Twitter. Consumers who accumulate five or more Happy Day Card comments on Facebook will receive either Free Standard Shipping or a sample of a Happy Fragrance with their next order from Clinique.com.

And continuing the brand's global holiday tradition, all Clinique executives, dressed in festive orange, will join their dedicated sales teams at retail counters on Happy Day to spread the holiday cheer, worldwide. Along with the Happy Holiday Cards, Happy-To-Go Fragrance Pencils will be given away for free at Clinique counters nationwide and on Clinique.com with a $30 purchase while supplies last. In addition to the U.S. festivities, Happy Day will continue to spread random acts of happiness across the globe in partnership with locally affiliated charities.

Monday, December 7, 2009

/PRNewswire/ -- The holiday season -- between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day -- is the most popular time of year for engagements with approximately 35-40 percent (550,000-650,000) couples getting engaged to be married over the next 12 to 18 months, according to The Wedding Report*. With an estimated 2.2 million weddings projected in 2010*, more than 1.1 million brides will discover their unique bridal style as they plan every moment of their celebration. Get Married offers these brides a sneak peek of the top 10 bridal trends for 2010. From runway fashions and edible passions to techie automations and color saturations, the new bridal trends are all about personalization and expressing your unique bridal style.

"Bringing your unique wedding inspirations to life is as exciting as it is essential when creating the 'wow'-factor," said Stacie Francombe, founder and CEO of Get Married, a tri-media wedding lifestyle platform for passionate brides. "We encourage brides to be bold and adventurous, infusing the elements and styles that excite them in life in this momentous lifecycle occasion."

Following is a look at the top 10 bridal trends for 2010 as determined by Get Married's editorial and production teams as well as leading industry experts:

1. Non-linear aisle: Brides are personalizing the procession by altering the traditional aisle with a circle or a triangular double aisle, enabling the couple to enter from multiple spots with a central meeting point. Stephanie Davis, Get Married magazine editor-in-chief and new bride, wedded lake-side on a circular dock from which she and her groom entered. "Our family no longer has two sides, so everyone sat together and, as an added bonus, there wasn't a bad seat in the house!" 2. Comfort foods with a kick: Chef Wolfgang Puck believes that comfort foods have become more popular in the current economy. Think burgers, pizza, ribs, pot pie, and risotto -- but comfort does not have to mean pedestrian. "Upgrade ingredients and prepare them with great expertise. Serve hors d'oeuvres like Kobe burgers, wild mushroom risotto, smoked salmon pizzas, slow-braised short ribs or a simple chicken pot pie with lobster," advises Puck. 3. Gifting techie gadgetry: Registries and wedding gifts have increasingly become more high tech. Brides want electronic recipe finders, books and charging plates, and matching his-and-hers PDA cases--all examples of great gadgets for the couple as well as thank-you gifts for parents and the wedding party. 4. Texture-inspired invitations: Top bridal designer Monique Lhuillier shares inspirations and details from her various collections: "A lot of fabric details from the dresses translate into the invitations. We use techniques of embossing to mimic textures and incorporate the same colors from the gowns into the invitations." Look for details you would see on the runway on your wedding invitations. 5. Old, new, borrowed and cobalt blue: From hints of blue in bridal fashion to saturated color throughout the wedding decor, "blues will be the most requested color in 2010," according to Shane Murray of The Wedding Report. Bright cobalt blue is a hot hue for 2010, offering fresh, bold and atmospheric twist on the bluesy tradition. 6. Wear-again bridesmaid dresses: The urban legend of wearing a bridesmaids dress by choice after the wedding is a reality with the new silhouettes that mirror what is happening on the runway. Gorgeous and glamorous dresses with drop waists, bubble skirts and ruffles add an additional sense of style for bridesmaids to wear -- and wear again. 7. Three-dimensional save-the-dates: Inform your friends and family of your wedding day with a twist. Three-dimensional elements on the save-the-dates, like a paper umbrella (signifying a destination wedding), adds character, humor and relevance. 8. Old Hollywood glam, for men!: A return to Cary Grant's sense of style is making a comeback this year for grooms, looking charming and dapper in a white tuxedo with black-rimmed lapels. This cool old-school look brings back the sharp-looking vest and nostalgic pocket watch. 9. Blogger brides abound: Now more than ever, Get Married is seeing brides enjoy sharing snippets of surprises, ideas and images throughout their wedding planning experience. Personal blogs offer a space for brides to share, gather inspirations and explore. Check out Get Married's robust and newly-skinned wedding blog. 10. Personalized plus: From the decor designs and inspirational invites to a great gifts and super-fab favors, Get Married is observing brides' aspiration for distinctly personalized wedding details. Designing invitations, save-the-dates and thank-you cards and adding monograms to guest books, aisle runners and gifts (like cosmetic and travel bags) offers a hint of personal bridal style. An assortment of personalized decor, invitations, gifts and favors are available at www.shop.getmarried.com.

Get Married offers a bridal style quiz for brides to discover their bridal personalities and express it -- available on the homepage at getmarried.com and reflected on the new season of Get Married's show on WE tv. The series will include real brides learning about their bridal style by partaking in fun wedding planning challenges and activities with expert wedding professionals.

More details and images about Get Married's top 10 bridal trends for 2010 -- and additional hot wedding ideas for the coming year -- will be showcased in the second issue of Get Married magazine available January 2010 on newsstands, online, by subscription and as a free first issue.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

(ARA) - It's nearly 2010 and real men accessorize. They get manicures, dress well and enjoy wearing sophisticated scents, too. These days, being sexy and chic doesn't conflict with being strong and masculine. This holiday, the best gift to the man in your life should reflect his personal style and sense of casual sophistication.

From grooming products and fragrances to accessories and clothes, here are some gift ideas that embody the class, style and sensuality of the modern man:

1. Modern, masculine scents

Your man is sexy, sophisticated, charming and intelligent, and you want his men's fragrance to be a reflection of him. A good scent is not only the gift that keeps on giving, but it's a gift to you too. After all, is there a better gift than a great-smelling man?

Whether your man is sporty, clean-shaven or a little rock 'n' roll, he needs to have a few good fragrances. These days, with so many to choose from, it's important to select quality over quantity. Blue Seduction for Men by Antonio Banderas is fresh, clean and most of all, sexy. Opt for the holiday gift set which includes an eau de toilette spray and after-shave splash.

For something a little more daring, another great scent is Seduction in Black, also by Antonio Banderas. This scent is spicy and warm, making it the perfect scent for nighttime, when the art of seduction begins. Seduction in Black is sexy and addictive, combining the perfect mix of citrus, spice and musk. Best of all its available at local fine chain drug and mass market retailers.

"Seduction in Black embodies the man who has it all - charm, personality, intelligence and good looks, and ultimately one who knows what it takes to be a success," says Banderas. "It is a scent for a man who is confident in his powers of seduction and who plays out his relationships with a twist of complexity and spontaneity."

2. Grooming gifts galoreToday's man is active in caring for his skin and body. With the men's grooming business booming, gift options are unlimited. Many companies have expanded their lines to include products geared especially toward men's wants and needs. Gift boxes including anti-aging skincare products, bath and body gels and shaving sets are widely available. With skin care becoming more of a concern for men, a gift basket with products promoting healthiness will be appreciated.

3. Watches - a timeless giftFew pieces of jewelry make more of a statement about a man than his watch, something he'll wear, look at and show off every day. A watch is a gift that perfectly combines the concepts of sophistication and practicality that epitomize the modern male. Whether he's a businessman in need of a power watch that makes a statement in the boardroom, or a professional surfer who needs to know how many seconds until the next killer wave, virtually every man can use a good watch - or even two or three to fit his changing moods and needs. Plus, it's a gift he'll wear next to his skin, subtly reminding him of your touch throughout the day.

4. Chic jackets and casual scarvesKnit sweaters or jackets with a slightly relaxed but tailored shape are the perfect way to stay stylish and contemporary this holiday season. Tweed is gaining popularity, achieving a more casual look that still has a high level of sophistication. Shearling lined coats are a favorite because they have a chic and masculine look and will keep him warm on those cold winter nights.

Add a casual chunky knitted scarf and casual hat and he'll have a look that is put-together yet relaxed. A beautifully knitted scarf or hat is a great holiday gift because it adds style to his favorite jacket, shirt or anything else in his closet. Plus it is functional because it will keep him toasty when the temperatures drop.

This holiday, you can't go wrong with a fragrance or fashion. It is sure to be one his favorites under the tree!

The Georgia Beauty Beat is, of course, all about beauty! We'll share tips on how to stay looking good no matter what your age or gender. A wide assortment of topics fall under the beauty category, no telling what you'll find as you check back with us each day.

The Georgia Beauty Beat is sponsored by the Fayette Front Page and the Georgia Front Page. Please double check any health tips and information in the articles as we can not be responsible for any adverse reactions or problems resulting from trying some of the suggestions contained in the articles. For questions about the articles, please check with the company or source included in the body of the article.